Walnut Bread Pudding with Mushrooms, Fontina and Spinach

If you're looking for a unique spin on bread pudding--here it is. Creamy fontina cheese combines with walnuts and spinach to elevates this homey side dish to something extra special.

Ingredients

1/2 loaf sourdough bread (cut into 1-inch cubes)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup diced onions

1 cup sliced mushrooms

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups chopped spinach

4 large eggs

1 cup half and half

1/2 cup whole milk

1 cup chopped California walnuts (food processor works best)

3/4 cup fontina cheese (grated)

Directions

In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil and cook onions until soft, add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook until onions and mushrooms are half their volume and are slightly brown

Fold in spinach and cook until wilted.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, half and half and milk together, add onion-mushroom mix, walnuts and cheese.

Pour over bread cubes and let sit until liquid is absorbed completely, approximately one hour.

Bake in a 9 x 13-inch pan at 350°F for approximately 30 minutes covered. Remove cover and continue baking until top starts to brown (approximately 5-10 minutes) and a knife or skewer when inserted in the middle comes out clean.

About Us

The California Walnut Board was established in 1948 to represent the walnut growers and handlers of California. The Board is funded by mandatory assessments of the handlers.The California Walnut Commission, established in 1987, is funded by mandatory assessments of the growers.

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Supportive but not conclusive research shows that eating 1.5 ounces of walnuts per day, as part of a low saturated fat and low cholesterol diet, and not resulting in increased caloric intake may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, March 2004.

One ounce of walnuts provides 18g of total fat, 2.5g of monounsaturated fat, 13g of polyunsaturated fat, including 2.5g of alpha–linolenic acid — the plant-based omega–3.